Jonah 1:3b-5 - Signs of Obedience

Before we move forward, just a quick recap about Jonah. He lived during the 8th century B.C. He was a prophet from the northern area of the northern kingdom which was called Israel. Many prophets had been calling the northern kingdom to repent of their sin, which was abundant, but the heart was the practice of mixing the worship of YHWH with the worship of pagan gods – which is typically called “syncretism.”

Jonah was the prophet who had delivered a message of blessing to Israel – that in spite of their sins, God would give them prosperity in the form of restoring the northern territory they had lost. That was Jonah’s resume when God told him to go to Nineveh.

Nineveh was the capital of the wicked empire of Assyria. At this time, Assyria did not yet border Israel, but they were getting close. Israel and Assyria had a history of conflict. The Israelites were no doubt bitter towards the Assyrians, who were known for their brutality and cruelty. One scholar says, “Assyria was a war machine like the world had never known.” But God was extending His great mercy to these wicked, undeserving people.

You might expect Jonah to be happy about that, but he’s not. Rather than obeying God and going about 500 miles NE, he decided to go about 2500 miles directly west – attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Tarshish (on the West coast of modern-day Spain), rather than making the trip to Nineveh (located in modern-day Iraq).

As far as why, chapter 4 reveals that Jonah did not want the Assyrians to turn to God. Jonah wanted the Israelites to repent. He wanted the Israelites to be blessed by God. But he didn’t want the Assyrians to be blessed by God. They didn’t deserve it, but neither did the Israelites.

And if the Assyrians did repent, what would that mean for the Israelites? Another famous OT prophet named Hosea came along after Jonah, and Hosea prophesied that God would use the Assyrians to punish the Israelites for their idolatry and wickedness. One scholar points out, “Jonah probably realized that his actions in calling the people of Nineveh to repent would ultimately result in the destruction of his own nation,” which, in 722 B.C., about 50 years after Jonah’s life, is what took place.

But this was part of God’s plan to bless all the families or nations of the earth. “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” So please follow along as I read the first 5 verses of Jonah, then I’ll pray and we’ll continue.

Hebrews 11 in the NT is well known for its “Hall of Faith.” In the chapter, various key Biblical figures are listed, and their great acts of obedience to God are recounted.

But it would be a terrible misunderstanding to see any of these ancient believers as being without sin. For example, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, and David are all listed. These were dear people of God who obeyed His Word, but they didn’t always readily comply with His commands. Each one — at times — failed to obey God’s difficult command for them.

God’s people are not above fleeing from the Lord’s difficult word when it comes to us. Another example of that is here, in the book of Jonah. And yet God shows us grace because of the saving work of Christ. Believers after the earthly ministry of Jesus look back on His saving work; believers before His earthly ministry — including Jonah — looked forward to it.

However, even with a saving knowledge of God’s grace, we can still lack a deeper, transformative knowledge of His grace. Dr. Sinclair Ferguson states that these events occur in Jonah’s life, “in order to teach Jonah that he has a gracious God.” Jonah, of course, was an Israelite prophet. He knew that the one true God is a God of grace. He had certainly experienced the grace of God. But he still had a lot to learn about grace —  and so do we.

And for our lessons, we look – as Hebrews 12 instructs – to Jesus. The Hall of Faith is followed by the command to looking to Christ, “the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Christ didn’t flee from God‘s difficult command. Instead, He embraced it – in the place of those He came to save.

So, when the difficult word of the LORD comes to us, we should look to Christ. He will give us the strength to rely not on our feelings, but on faith. And as we look to Jesus, not only will we be made strong to walk by faith, but also, we will learn some things about obeying God’s difficult commands.

Notice the outline for you on page 6. Looking to Jesus, we learn that favorable conditions and a peaceful disposition don’t always indicate that a person is obeying God‘s difficult command. We’re going to compare Jonah and Jesus while at the same time considering our own response to the difficult command of God.

So look again at verse 3. “But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the  LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.”

Notice how things seem to fall right into place for Jonah. There’s a ship making a long journey. He has the right amount of money. Everything is going his way. But that’s not always a sign of God’s approval.

In Job 21, Job asks, “Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?” Such is the world where we live and the sovereign Lord reigns. Listen to this parable of Jesus recorded in Luke 12. Jesus said, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, [17] and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ [18] And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ [20] But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ Money and success rolling in aren’t necessarily signs of obedience to God.

Think about the experiences of Jesus Christ during His earthly life. After an unjust arrest and a sham of a trial, Christ was handed over to be beaten and crucified to death to please the wicked Jewish leaders. Luke writes that as Jesus hung on the cross, naked and bloody, humiliated and in unimaginable physical pain, “the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” [36] The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine [37] and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”

Adverse conditions don’t always indicate disobedience to God’s command, and favorable conditions do not always indicate obedience. Things were going well for Jonah, not for Jesus. Yet it was Jesus who obeyed.

Have you been fooled into believing that favorable conditions are evidence that you are obeying God, when in fact you are somehow going explicitly against the Lord’s word? Perhaps in how you use your money or spend your time, perhaps in your words or thoughts or in your private life? Don’t be fooled – by your own life experiences or those of others. God’s word is fixed in the heavens and clear in the Scriptures.

In Matthew 7, Jesus says, “The gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many…the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Just because things seem to be going your way at the moment, that doesn’t mean that God is pleased with your actions and that you are close with Him. Just because your life is difficult, that doesn’t mean you are not obeying God.

Now notice verse [4]. “But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.” God’s action is described in anthropomorphic terms – using human terms to describe the deeds of God. This verse pictures God casting the storm like a man hurls a javelin. There’s anthropomorphic language used for the ship also. The Hebrew literally says “the ship was thinking about breaking up.”

However it’s worth repeating that the book of Jonah is presented as historical narrative. One indicator of this within the book is that, from the very beginning, the author uses what scholars refer to as the vav consecutive. This is a grammatical construction in ancient Hebrew using the letter “vav” throughout the narration of historical events.

The vav consecutive is a primary indicator in ancient Hebrew that real events are being described. The vav consecutive rarely – if ever – appears in poetry or wisdom literature. For example, in Genesis ch. 1 alone, the vav consecutive is used 51 times.

And see verse [5] “Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god.” These sailors were pagans. They didn’t call on Yahweh to save them. Naturally, they were terrified by this storm, “And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them.” These mariners are doing all they can. They are scared to death, crying out to any god that might hear and help them, and yet they have the prophet of Yahweh below deck.

Look at the rest of verse 5. “But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.” Jonah was fine. He got comfortable – feeling as though the perfect plan had come together. He was able set sail for a land far away from Nineveh and from his own people – far from anyone who might encourage him to obey the word of Yahweh. But he’s unaware of the storm outside. God’s consequences are close at hand.

This is reminiscent of the life of an OT figure named Samson. Samson was an Israelite judge who was given great strength by God. But he repeatedly sinned, breaking his vow to God and pursuing forbidden women.

A woman named Delilah was used by Samson’s enemies to capture him. Judges 16 says that before she cut off his long hair – the source of his strength – she lulled him to peaceful sleep, with his head resting on her lap. Samson was disobeying God, but he slept soundly, as did Jonah.

Now, contrast those men with the Lord Jesus Christ. On the night before His death, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethesemane. He told His disciples who accompanied him, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” He wanted them to stay awake and pray with Him. But they all fell asleep.

However, He remained awake, under excruciating stress knowing what He would endure the next day. And He prayed repeatedly, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” Listen to me: a peaceful disposition does not always indicate obedience to God‘s difficult command. Jonah and Samson disobeyed God openly, and they experienced a kind of peace. Jesus obeyed the Father, and he endured great trouble and grief.

It’s not uncommon for someone to be diametrically opposed to God’s commands – living in bold contradiction of His Word – and yet to claim they have “a peace” about it. I don’t doubt that they do. They may be perfectly calm within.

Often our foolish and wicked plans will “work.” Samson was calm, Jonah was calm – but it’s a calm before a great storm. Galatians 6 says, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” The reaping may be in this life, or it may be in eternity. Don’t rely on how you feel. Rely on the word of the LORD.

What does God’s Word say about what you’re doing? Favorable conditions don’t always indicate obedience to God‘s difficult command, and neither does a peaceful disposition.

So perhaps you can see with even greater clarity the tremendous value of God’s written word for us. Perhaps now you can grasp even more the gift of the Scriptures. Psalm 19 says, “the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes…the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

Even those great saints in the Hall of Faith – Abraham, Sarah, Moses, David, and the others – could not obey the Lord’s word to perfection. Apart from God’s grace, they stood condemned. But Romans 8 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Those OT followers of God looked to Christ who was yet to come, and they were, therefore, “in Christ Jesus.” We look to Christ who has already come and returned to heaven. Therefore, we who have trusted in him are “in Christ Jesus” as well.

Are you in Christ?

Regardless of your life conditions, or your heart and mind’s disposition, do you trust in Him alone to save you and secure you with God? Because if you call on Him in faith He will do just that. And as you turn from sin and look to Him and follow Him, by His Word and Spirit, He will show you the way and make you strong to obey – even the difficult commands of God.

Look back quickly at this passage of Jonah again. Notice verse 3 says “he went down to Joppa….found a ship…and went down into it,” and verse 5, “Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship.” What was the author trying to convey there? That in Jonah’s attempts to go “away from the presence of Yahweh,”he was going down, down, down – and yet, not so far down that He was beyond the LORD’s reach.

Neither are you too far that the LORD cannot reach you.

This is the word of the LORD to you today – humble yourself before Him, and He will lift you up. Trust in the power of the cross of Christ. Jesus endured the consequences for our disobedience, and He gives us the reward He earned through perfect obedience to God.

Let’s bow together in prayer.